Disney said it had sold out all its commercial inventory tied to its coming 2027 telecast of Super Bowl LXI, showing a remarkable push to a financial touchdown that seemed in danger of being blocked just a few weeks ago.
Hugh Johnston, the company’s chief financial officer, announced the close out of ad sales tied to the NFL spectacular during a call with investors Wednesday.
Disney said it had signed deals with “58 brands across 34 distinct categories, including financial services, candy, personal care, and software” and noted it had captured “one of the broadest advertiser and category mixes in Super Bowl history. Nine advertisers are first-time advertisers in the Big Game.
The announcement marks an intriguing reversal of fortune. Just weeks ago, advertisers and media buyers had complained that Disney was being too aggressive in its pricing, with the company seeking as much as $10 million for a 30-second ad along with a similar “match” for other advertising inventory. Disney subsequently backed away from its demands and started to sell 30-second berths for $8 million to $9 million, according to people familiar with the talks.
Disney also ruffled some sponsors by probing to see whether it could reset the Super Bowl ad playing field. Super Bowl sales are usually tied to so-called “incumbents,” or longer-term sponsors, such as Anheuser Busch InBev and PepsiCo. Because Disney was selling for its first Super Bowl in two decades, however, it has fewer of the obligations that Fox, CBS and NBC have had to fulfill. Incumbents are often guaranteed certain positions in the ad roster, such as appearing before halftime or in the first quarter.
Now, however, the company has notched a decidedly early sell-out. NBCUniversal enjoyed solid momentum behind Super Bowl sales last year, but did not declare sell-out until September. Fox, which showed Super Bowl LIX in 2025, was close to sell out in mid-August of 2024.
Disney’s plans for the Super Bowl are ambitious. The company’s rights deal with the NFL calls for the game to be telecast on both ABC and ESPN, with a separate “alterna-cast” led by Peyton and Eli Manning to appear on ESPN2. The telecast will take place on February 14, Valentine’s Day, and the Monday after is a federal holiday, President’s Day. “What an opportunity for us,” Andy Tennant, a veteran ESPN producer who was named vice present of Super Bowl production in January of last year, told Variety in February. “We see the Super Bowl as an opportunity to bring everyone together, to celebrate the biggest single game on the planet.”
Disney was no doubt encouraged by NBC’s sales performance for the 2026 Super Bowl telecast. Before NBC wrapped sales tied to this year’s telecast of Super Bowl LX, the company’s top sales executive, Mark Marshall, revealed the company had sold a “handful” of spots for more than $10 million. The trouble? NBC started its process by asking for around $7 million for 30 seconds of ad time, and the price was so attractive that it sparked robust demand. By the time NBC neared the end of its sales window, it had too much interest in too little supply, which squeezed prices into record territory. In reality, the bulk of the company’s Super Bowl ad inventory sold for $7 million to $8 million, according to people familiar with the matter.
Super Bowl LXI is the linchpin of a massive schedule of live events that Disney has been touting to advertisers for months. Over the course of eight weeks in early 2027, Disney’s TV and streaming properties will feature the College Football Playoffs, the Oscars,and the Grammys,
That suite of tentpoles proved attractive during the industry’s recent “upfront” market, Disney executives revealed Wednesday. Johnston, the CFO, said the volume of ad commitments to Disney properties rose by a double-digit percentage over last year, with sports volume” up “low teens.”
Rita Ferro, Disney’s president of global advertising, said “our ability to deliver audiences at scale, across live events and streaming, all year long” helped win ad dollars from Madison Avenue during the market, which U.S. media companies use to sell the bulk of their commercial inventory tied to their next cycle of programming.
